Tattoos on the face of it might sound interesting, look hip and even help you to make a point about your personality or self. Getting a tattoo is good or bad depends entirely on the perception of the wearer. Some may regret having it sooner or later but there are others who have taken it as a lifetime imprint on their bodies. Here are certain myths and facts about tattoos that will surely clear a lot of grey areas on this subject.

• Tattoos change form with weight gain or loss – This is too minimal to be visible unless of course the loss or gain is substantial. If the tattoo is very intricate with close lines and patterns, there is bound to be some distortion. Shrinking body mass can bring lines and forms closer together putting the tattoo out of shape when compared to the original. Similarly for weight gain – increased body mass will make the lines go further apart. Further, weight gain often leads to stretch marks on the skin. If that passes over the tattoo, the etching will be ruined.
• Contracting HIV/AIDS from tattooing – It is a complete myth. Chance of contracting HIV or AIDS is minimal and can be fully discounted if you have a tattoo created from a well established tattoo parlour. These establishments are clean and hygienic and use fresh and new needles for every tattoo. Avoid seedy parlours and shady tattoo artists and you need not bother about your safety.
• You will regret having had a tattoo when old – There are many things that you will worry about when you are 80 and rest assured a tattoo will be the least important of them. Lifestyle changes will be a part of your existence so why worry about a tattoo. Your family might also opt for alarm installation in Melbourne or wherever you might be staying to monitor your regular movements so that no harm befalls you. If you can adjust to these situations, having a tattoo should not be a problem.
• Tattoos cannot be removed; they are for life – Again a myth considering the advent of modern technologically advanced machines that make tattoo removal an easy and painless affair. True, even in the not-so-distant past, tattoo removal was extremely painful and required extensive surgical intervention and skin grafting. Now laser and IPL based machines have changed all that. In simple terms, beams of focussed light are targeted at the tattoo. These enter below the skin surface, vibrate at nanoseconds and break up the ink into tiny fragments which are then absorbed by the body’s natural processes. Depending on the colour of ink and density of the design, a few sessions are required to remove a tattoo. After some time when the skin has healed, a fresh tattoo can be done on that area. However, tattoo removal is definitely a very expensive proposition.
• Professing undying love with a tattoo – A myth of course! There are many other ways to do so which can be changed once love vanishes in the air. This is not to say that love always dies out but consider what you will have to do if such a possibility arises. Go for expensive tattoo removal procedures or try to hide it under layers of clothing? Keep options open if you fall out of love and things go sour between the two of you. Having a tattoo in his/her name is not advisable at all.

Having a tattoo done today is safe and hygienic if you get it done from a reputed tattoo parlour but be sure to check out the credentials first. This is of course true for every aspect of life. Take the example of installing a home security system in Melbourne from reputed dealers Onetec Security. Even though they are industry leaders in this field, wouldn’t you verify if their products can be trusted? Similarly, check out the tattoo parlour too and the creativity of the tattoo artist before going under the needles.

A tattoo is not merely an etching on the body; it signifies the mental frame and personality of the tattooed and a pointer to that period in life when the tattoo was created. It is often seen that those temporary moments pass off but the tattoo stays back – the name of a loved one, a place visited or even a date to be remembered. Men and women too have different ideas of what a tattoo should be – rarely would you see a small beautiful rose on a man or a skull and bones picture on a woman. This is primarily because the inner psyche of a person is best reflected in a tattoo.

Here too, there are fine lines that divide the very essence of a tattoo. Take the example of a flower tattoo. A pink flower depicts wealth and happiness while a white lily a deep seated innocence. Again, a lotus and a rose tattoo denote prosperity and the making of a new life. Similarly, other flowers and colours all have unique meanings that are well brought out in the personality of the wearer. The reason why women prefer flower tattoos is because they are essentially an expression of femineity.

Tattoos are not a new phenomenon and can be traced back to ancient times when they were an integral part of cultural and religious identity of specific groups of people. These have evolved through times and today you can choose from a wide range, from the traditional types to modern funky ones that show today’s mindset and personality. A tattoo artist is much in demand today and tattoos are considered to be Body Art. Since it is both creative and an expression of the outlook of the wearer, tattoos have to be planned carefully after a lot of discussion between the artist and the tattooed.

Some people feel that wearing a tattoo denotes a weak personality and thereby the need arises to express thoughts, ideas and feelings through body art, something that they otherwise would find it difficult to do. This is not entirely true. Take the case of showing solidarity to a movement or a religious belief through tattoos. There is nothing weak about it but instead a constant reminder both to self and others of what they hold dear to their hearts.

All this might be true but this belief or expression can be a disadvantage at times. Take the case of a job applicant with a large visible tattoo. HR executives and talent hunters often frown on such tattoos as they feel that it might clash with the work culture prevailing in an organisation and be a disruptive force amongst employees. However, those in man management like Shannon Pigram who devise and implement top and effective leadership programs and learning strategies generally have a more liberal attitude towards tattoos.

Every tattoo has a story to tell and depicts a part of time in the wearer’s life. An experienced tattoo artist has templates for various occasions and can also customise tattoos according to specific needs. Tattoos can be made to represent a value that a person is trying to project about him/her or even an etching of a few words that will draw them nearer to another with the same objectives or goals in life. It is a way to go above the mundane and the ordinary and give wings to self expressions, ambitions and values of life.